Pitch Perfect: Can you talk about your musical history? What got you interested in music?
MSB: I started playing guitar when I was ten years old. My parents had a vinyl collection that mainly consisted of ‘60s and ‘70s classic rock and I would spend a great deal of time trying to learn the songs by ear. I always enjoyed the dynamics of playing in bands and became more dedicated to songwriting after college. The Matthew Shadley Band was formed as an outlet for original music that didn't fit into the other bands I played in. We played a lot of shows, went through some lineup changes and eventually, I was drawn more toward studio engineering and production.
Pitch Perfect: What are some differences between 1970 Something and your previous release Emerald? Did you approach the making of the album in a different way? the recording, etc?
MSB: I think that my approach was more focused on 1970 Something. Emerald was my first major musical effort in 12 years and it required a massive investment in my studio. During the pandemic lockdowns I had the time to sit down and avail myself of the technological changes in digital recording. It was like being a kid in a candy store (VSTs, MIDI, plug-ins and the ability to collaborate with other musicians all over the country). There was a pretty steep learning curve and I didn't have the typical backlog of material I had on previous projects. Long story short, it took about two years to complete Emerald and I worked with a lot of different musicians to record the individual tracks.
1970 Something was intended to be a collection of songs that reflected my nostalgia for 1970s rock and pop culture. The songs were written very methodically and I used more baritone guitar and piano in the writing process. It was more self-contained and I played most of the instruments myself. As a result, I was able to complete the project in a few months. Both albums were mixed and produced using Cubase and mastered with iZotope.
Pitch Perfect: What are some topics and themes you explore with your music?
MSB: Most of the songs are kind of introspective. "I'm Alright" is about accepting your life as it is and holding on to a youthful idealism. "Long Ride,""Don't Need a Reason" and "Heavy Traffic" deal with the complexity of human relationships. The usage of social media and the herd-like mentality it fosters has always fascinated me, so there is some amount of social commentary in "Hashtag World" and also on some of the songs from Emerald ("Oh, Karen" and "Anime Girl"). Sometimes I like to focus on dynamic instrumental soundscapes ("Panorama" and "Intrigue at the Disco") or simple straight-up classic hard rock ("Believe," and "In the Street").
Pitch Perfect: How do you approach songwriting?
MSB: I usually start with a chord progression and/or a melody, then I work on the structure of the song. I like to have a complete instrumental demo before I work on lyrics. I have a fairly acute sense of synesthesia in that I perceive very distinct images and colors when I listen to instrumental music. I don't know how common that is, but I think that's why this writing method works for me.
Pitch Perfect: What else should we know about your music?
MSB: The music can be found on every streaming platform (Spotify, Apple, iTunes, YouTube, Deezer, Pandora, etc...). If you prefer to have something physical (as I do), you can purchase a CD or Vinyl LP on the website and through various retail outlets. You can go to the website at www.matthewshadleyband.com for videos, news, unreleased music and reviews.
I am currently working on a blues project with my daughter Alex (who plays one of the guitars on "Don't Need a Reason Why"), as well as a prog-rock project with my daughter Maggie (who is a classically trained cellist and one hell of a bass player). The blues project is being mixed and produced by one of my old bandmates with whom I've collaborated off and on over the years and will likely be released as an EP before the end of the year. The prog-rock album will likely be released in 2024.
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